About

Charge North aims to increase public access to electric vehicle (EV) charging in the central and northern parts of BC in order to encourage regional development, increase tourism, and support local EV adoption.

The multi-year project was initiated by six Northern and Interior regional districts along with more than 40 local governments and First Nations communities. Funding partners include the Northern Development Initiatives Trust, the Province of BC, Government of Canada, and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. Charge North is facilitated by the Community Energy Association. 

Today, Charge North is adding nearly 60 Level 2 charging stations along almost 2,800 km of highway from south of Kamloops to Prince George, north to Fort Nelson, along Highway 16, and onto Haida Gwaii. These stations are beginning to be installed in 2022.

Charge North involves the installation of Level 2 stations, which add 30-40 kilometres of range per hour of charging. Learn more about electric vehicle charging.

But Charge North is about more than the addition of Level 2 chargers: 

  • The Charge North partner organizations helped to identify preferred charging locations across the region. This information is being used by BC Hydro and the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure to install Level 3 chargers, which can fully recharge a vehicle from empty in about an hour. 
  • EV awareness campaigns are exposing people and organizations in the region to the benefits of electric vehicles. 

Learn More About Charge North

Enhancing opportunities for EV adoption is critical in northern and rural areas, where transportation often accounts for nearly two-thirds of local greenhouse gas emissions.